This is it. Time to announce the winners of the “Finish It!” Contest. The road was long, and every entrant worked tremendously hard to submit original, stunning pieces of art. I appreciate the effort, and the obvious love for this craft which was expressed in every entry. There wasn’t a single piece I didn’t like, nor a single piece that wasn’t appreciated by the wider audience, in general. It was hard to settle on a favorite when one appeals to my sense of elegance, another to my sense of whimsy, and another still to my sense of style.

So, I knew I’d need help.

I commissioned the contestants to submit a vote of their own. Peer-to-peer voting. And the results were as close in the “Community Favorite” category as in the “Judged” category. A panel of seven judges (3 jewelry artisans and 4 consumers) were asked to pick their top three, and from these, a single winner emerged. Not surprisingly, this judged favorite also placed second in the community votes as well. Amazing work which shows a consistent appreciation by the audience as a whole.

So, without further ado, here are your winners, who will each receive my entire tutorial suite, and their choice of “Finish It!” Cradle Pendant or mystery pendant:

“Community Favorite”: Bonnie Jacobson

“Judged Favorite”: Tommye Sigerfoos

“Nicole Hanna Favorite”: Nadine Zanner

And because I ignored my husband mercilessly this month (lovingly referred to as “Tunnel Vision”) and he was feeling incredibly left out of the entire process, he demanded I assuage his bruised ego and include his “Husband’s Pick Winner”, who will receive any three tutorials of her choice.

“Husband’s Pick Winner”: Lea Young

Congratulations to the winners! You all did a fabulous job, each entry as surprising and lovely as the next.

I ask the winners to email me (nikki.hanna@gmail.com) to provide their address for the pendant and/or for receipt of the tutorial suite. Be sure to state whether you would prefer the “Finish It!” Cradle Pendant, or a surprise mystery pendant.

And thanks to you all for your participation and understanding during the judging process. I hope future contests run smoothly as a result of the lessons learned here.

Thanks to you all, and I hope to see this enthusiasm during the next event! Which, I will add, should be just around the corner, so stay tuned!